1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to healthy foods and cosmetics. More particularly, it relates to healthy foods and cosmetics containing a polyisoprenylated benzophenone derivative as an effective ingredient and having a variety of functions for maintaining health such as anti-ulcer activity, the Maillard reaction inhibiting activity, anti-oxidation activity, active oxygen scavenging activity, and anti-tumor promoting activity.
2. Description of Related Prior Art
There have hitherto been used synthetic anti-oxidants such as BHA (tert-butylhydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylhydroxytoluene), and natural anti-oxidants such as vitamin E and vitamin C for the purpose of enhancing the storage stability of high fat foods.
In recent years, among substances having anti-oxidizing activity, those having an activity of scavenging reactive oxygen species or radicals, or an activity of inhibiting the generation of reactive oxygen species in the presence of a metal ion (Fenton reaction) has attracted attention, because reactive oxygen species or radicals are responsible for a variety of diseases as well as the aging of skin such as hardening, development of wrinkles and pigmentation, and the generation of reactive oxygen species in the presence of metal ion causes the oxidative disorders in the body which are responsible for a variety of diseases and the aging of skin described above.
Thus, vitamin E and vitamin C which have hitherto been used as natural antioxidants harmless to the body have been attempted to be used as active oxygen scavenging agents in the body. These materials, notwithstanding their strong anti-oxidizing activities, are not sufficient in relation to their activities for scavenging reactive oxygen species (or radicals) and inhibiting the generation of reactive oxygen species in the presence of metal ion, and thus materials derived from natural substances which have both anti-oxidizing activity and reactive oxygen species scavenging activity such as flavonoids have been searched.
Also, referring to the Maillard reaction, the non-enzymatic browning reaction of proteins with reducing sugars such as glucose has been described by L. C. Maillard, Compt. Rend. Soc. Biol., 72, 599 (1912) and investigated primarily in the field of food science. Since it has been suggested that similar reactions were also observed in the body by S. Rahber, Clin. Chem. Acta, 22, 296 (1968), it has been revealed that the Maillard reaction is intimately responsible for various diseases. Thus, a variety of pharmaceutical agents have been developed on the basis of the anticipation that the inhibition of the Maillard reaction will be effective for the prevention or treatment of these diseases and the aging of skin such as hardening, development of wrinkles and pigmentation.
It has been proposed to use as such agents for example guanidine derivatives such as aminoguanidine, D-penicillamine, quercetin, flavonoids and water soluble carboxyl derivatives of benzophenones, (Japanese Patent Kokai Nos. 249908/1987, 249909/1987, 56614/1989, 83059/1989, 240725/1991 and 368320/1992, and Biosci. Biotech. Biochem., 59, 2018-2021, 1995). These agents have however the defect of less effectiveness.
In addition, referring to the ulcer-preventive effects, protective anti-ulcer agents such as sodium hydrogen carbonate and cetraxate hydrochloride, aggressive anti-ulcer agents such as H2 blockers including cimetidine and ranitidine, proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole (see Bioindustry, 12(2), 50-58, 1995), and the like are clinically used for the prevention or treatment of peptic ulcers including gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer. Also, there have still been desired other novel substances effective for these ulcers.
Furthermore, referring to the inhibition of tumor promotion, tumorigenic substances have been classified into two groups in the two-stage process of tumorigenesis proposed in recent years. The two groups comprise the substances which damage DNA and change the normal cells into potential tumor cells (initiator) and the substances which develop the potential tumor cells into tumor (promoter). The typical examples of the former include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and the typical examples of the latter include phorbol esters. These tumorigenic substances such as the initiator and the promoter are contained in food and drink, air, and the like, and are difficult to remove them completely.
Thus, a method for reducing the risk of tumorigenesis has attracted attention which comprises chemically inhibiting the effects of either one or both of the two stages (see "Chemoprevention of Cancer", Lee W. Wattenberg, Cancer Research, 45, 1-8, 1985). Particularly, the inhibition of the promotion process is very effective for adults, since they are believed to have potential tumor cells which have already been initiated.
For evaluating the effect of anti-tumor promotion, a short-term in vitro method for testing the inhibition of the induction of the Epstein-Barr virus early antigen (EBV-EA) induced by a phorbol ester as a tumor promotor has been developed (see Y. Ito, S. Yanase, J. Fujita, T. Harayama, M. Takashima and H. Imanaka, Cancer Letters, 13, 29-37, 1981).
From the viewpoint described above, substances having the EBV-EA induction inhibiting activities are currently searched particularly with components ingestible everyday. Particularly, substances which have a strong EBV-EA induction inhibiting activity and can be easily produced and processed in an industrial scale are desired. However, no substances have hitherto been found which well satisfy such requirements.